The invention relates to satellite communications systems generally, and more particularly to satellite communication systems which divide the transmitted signal, either in power or in content, to be synchronized and recombined in the receiving terminal. This concept applies readily to broadcast applications, but it is not so limited.
The satellite industry has experienced a progression of performance enhancements evidenced by increased transmit power capability of satellite transponders, improved low-noise amplifier (LNA) characteristics, and smaller receiving antennas. In satellite systems with a large number of receiving stations, it is particularly important to reduce the cost of each receiving unit and to design a system with a small receiving antenna to meet installation and aesthetic requirements. The need for a small receiving antenna has motivated an increase in transponder power output in order to maintain an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with the smaller antenna. As satellite users move from lower power transponders to higher power transponders, falling demand for the lower power transponders reduces the cost of their use. Receiving a signal from a lower power transponder with the smaller receiving antenna size produces a received power at the LNA too low to maintain SNR requirements. The present invention permits the receiver to combine received signals from a plurality of transponders, possibly located on a plurality of satellites to enable again the use of lower power transponders, but with small receiving terminal antennas.